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Somalia is set to begin its first-ever offshore oil drilling operations, marking a significant milestone in the country’s energy journey.
A Turkish government-owned drilling vessel, the Çağrı Bey, is expected to arrive off Somalia’s coast this Friday to begin deep-water exploration in the Arabian Sea.
The initiative follows successful seismic surveys conducted last year by a Turkish research vessel, which mapped Somalia’s hydrocarbon potential.
Somalia’s Petroleum Minister, Dahir Shire, hailed the venture as a “historic milestone,” describing it as the start of “a new chapter” in the nation’s offshore energy journey. This move signals Somalia’s readiness to explore its most promising offshore oil prospects.
The Somali Foreign Ministry highlighted that if successful, the drilling would unlock vast offshore oil reserves, boosting the country’s economic recovery and its ambitions as a regional energy player. Shire assured that the country would ensure that the oil drilling would contribute to national prosperity, benefiting the people of Somalia.
The Turkish Petroleum Corporation’s Çağrı Bey is set to carry out the exploration under a production-sharing agreement signed in 2024 between Turkey and Somalia. This will be the drilling ship’s first international mission, and it is expected to conduct deep-water drilling at sites identified in previous surveys.
Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Ali Omar, emphasised that the oil drilling project would strengthen Turkey’s position as a “trusted long-term partner” in Somalia’s development. Turkey, having invested in Somalia for over a decade, has also expanded its military presence there, establishing a major base in 2017.
With researchers estimating that Somalia holds billions of barrels of untapped oil reserves, the country’s long-standing political instability and conflict had previously hindered exploration. However, this new partnership with Turkey marks a promising shift towards unlocking Somalia’s energy potential and fostering economic growth.
